Swedish Style, Vegan Kofta Balls

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“(They look like meat balls, and have a similar texture as well)
This recipe is from "The Higher Taste", a Hare Krishna cookbook, with modifications to suit the westerner's palate. These Kofta balls contain seasonings which are reminiscent of Swedish meat balls, instead of the Indian spices found in the original recipe. The great thing about these Kofta balls is that my 3-year-old son eats them, and normally, he won't touch veggies. Everything tastes good when it's fried! Although these kofta balls are fried, they are not greasy at all. To start, You will need about 1 liter canola oil (expeller pressed, or other oil for deep frying).”

Top Review by

These are fabulous! I took them to a Scandinavian potluck - there were several Swedish meatballs and no one guessed mine were veggie till I told them They loved them and all wanted the recipe. I made a white sauce and added some nutmeg to it. Scrumptious. Now I can't wait to try them in a spaghetti sauce. A keeper for sure.

Top Review by

These are fabulous! I took them to a Scandinavian potluck - there were several Swedish meatballs and no one guessed mine were veggie till I told them They loved them and all wanted the recipe. I made a white sauce and added some nutmeg to it. Scrumptious. Now I can't wait to try them in a spaghetti sauce. A keeper for sure.

Directions

Heat enough oil in a pan that's appropriate for deed-frying foods; the oil should be at least 1 inch deep.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mush the mixture through your clean hands until well combined and balls can be formed. Form dough into approximately 24 balls that measure roughly about 1 inch in diameter. Resist the temptation to add liquids to the mix. There is enough liquid in the grated vegetables to make the mixture come together. If you absolutely must, add no more than a teaspoon of liquid.

Place as many of the balls in the hot, but not smoking, oil as possible, leaving enough room for them to float comfortably; fry over medium to high heat (depending on the type of oil you use and the type of range you have) for 10 minutes. The kofta balls should be a rich golden brown color. They will get darker after they are removed from the oil.

When the frying process is complete, remove the kofta balls from the hot oil and place them into a colander to drain over a plate—or—onto a plate with paper towels to absorb some of the excess oil.

Place the kofta balls into the tomato sauce of your choice, or into whichever other sauce you may be using, for approximately 5 minutes prior to serving.

If, after sitting for 5 minutes, the kofta balls have soaked up a lot of the sauce, adding a little water will help reconstitute your sauce.

Serve with cooked pasta and tomato sauce, or serve with a white cream-style gravy and herb-rubbed potatoes. Experiment, enjoy, and be amazed!